CHP forwards videotaped freeway beating case to district attorney

FILE - In this July 1, 2014 file image made from video provided by motorist David Diaz, a California Highway Patrol officer punches Marlene Pinnock, 51, on the shoulder of a Los Angeles freeway. The CHP announced Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, that it has forwarded its investigation into the beating of Pinnock to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, and the probe outlines "potentially serious charges'' against the officer. (AP Photo/David Diaz, File)

FILE - This Aug. 10, 2014 file photo shows Marlene Pinnock during an interview in Los Angeles. Pinnock, 51, was recorded on video being punched by a California Highway Patrol officer on a Los Angeles freeway on July 1. The CHP announced Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, that it has forwarded its investigation into the beating of Pinnock to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, and the probe outlines "potentially serious charges'' against the officer. (AP Photo/John Hopper, File)

A California Highway patrolman seen on videotape pummeling a homeless woman along a Los Angeles freeway may face serious criminal charges, the CHP announced Wednesday.

Officer Daniel Andrew, who had worked desk duty since the beating of Marlene Pinnock on July 1 went viral, has now been sent home on paid administrative leave.

“The California Highway Patrol has forwarded the results of a criminal investigation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office outlining potentially serious charges for the officer involved,” said the CHP Southern Division, based in Glendale, in a statement.

The CHP didn’t specify what it may have recommended to prosecutors, or any possible charges. “I can confirm the CHP has turned over its investigation in the Marlene Pinnock case,” said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the DA. “It’s under review. It’s our only comment.”

The July 1 video ignited a firestorm of protest, as well as a civil rights lawsuit.

Her attorney, Caree Harper, said Wednesday said the suspension of the CHP officer and possible charges by District Attorney Jackie Lacey were long overdue.

“Jackie Lacey should have a booking number for him by tomorrow,” Harper said in a phone interview. “Jackie Lacey should immediately charge him — we’d like to see attempted murder, at the very minimum felonious assault. He should be held accountable.”

In his incident report, Andrew said the woman had endangered herself and tried to walk into traffic. The CHP had reported the officer was just trying to restrain her.

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Drivers had called 9-1-1 to report the barefoot woman on the freeway shoulder who had looked to be either drunk or high.

But Pinnock, who’d been homeless for the last three to five years, wasn’t loaded, Harper had said. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she’d been off her medication for two to three months when she had tried to find a safe place to sleep only accessible by walking along the freeway ramp.

“He grabbed me, he threw me down, he started beating me, he beat me,” Pinnock said during an interview this month with The Associated Press. “I felt like he was trying to kill me, beat me to death.”

After the altercation, the CHP seized her medical records and files that included references to her attorney, Harper said.

She has since filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, naming Andrew and CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. The lawsuit claims excessive force, assault, battery and a violation of her due-process rights.

Farrow, who has met with community and civil rights leaders in Los Angeles, had pledged a fast-tracked investigation of the beating. The incident drew fire from U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, who demanded the officer be fired.

Andrew, who’d been on the job 1½ years, could not be reached for comment. Representatives of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the labor union that represents CHP officers, were out for training Wednesday and unavailable for comment.

The CHP said it will cooperate with the DA’s Office in its ongoing criminal investigation. It also said it will complete an ongoing internal investigation.

“The CHP understands the public’s interest in this case, and it is our desire to be as transparent as possible while adhering to the laws and due process that govern any investigation,” the CHP said. “We value the public’s trust and appreciate the community’s patience as we complete this important process.”